Horizontally structured manufacturing process modeling: exterior linked representational embodiment

Abstract

A method of horizontally structured manufacturing process modeling for large process models comprising: selecting a blank for machining into an actual part; and establishing a coordinate system. The method also includes: creating a master process model in a first file comprising: a virtual blank corresponding to said blank and a manufacturing feature; virtual machining of the manufacturing feature into the virtual blank, the manufacturing feature exhibiting an associative relationship with the coordinate system; and generating a group reference link of selected manufacturing features of the master process model. The method also includes generating an in-process model in a separate file from the first file employing the group reference link, the in-process model exhibiting another associative relationship with the master process model. The method also includes generating manufacturing instructions to create the actual part by machining the manufacturing feature into the blank.

1. A manufactured part created by a method of horizontally structured CAD/CAM manufacturing for large process models comprising:
 a blank for machining into said manufactured part; 
 a coordinate system; 
 a master process model in a first file comprising:
 a virtual blank corresponding to said blank; and 
 manufacturing features characterized by virtual machining of said manufacturing features into said virtual blank, said manufacturing features exhibiting an associative relationship with said coordinate system; 
 
 a first group reference link generated for a first subset of said manufacturing features; 
 an first in-process model created via virtual machining of the first subset of said manufacturing features, said first in-process model stored in a second file, the second file associated with the first file via the second group reference link; wherein the first in-process model exhibits an associative relationship with said master process model; 
 a second group reference link generated for a second subset of said manufacturing features; 
 a second in-process model created via virtual machining of the second subset of said manufacturing features, said second in-process model stored in a third file, the third file associated with the first file via the third group reference link; wherein the second in-process model exhibits an associative relationship with said master process model; and 
 manufacturing instructions to create said manufactured part by machining at least one of said first and second subsets of said manufacturing features into said blank, wherein, if the first subset of said manufacturing features is altered or deleted, the second subset of said manufacturing features remains unchanged; 
 an alternate master process model created from the first in-process model, the alternate process model being created based on at least one feature of the first subset of manufacturing features; 
 a first subset of alternate manufacturing features virtually machined into the alternate master process model; 
 a first alternate in-process model generated from results of the virtual machining, the first in-process model exhibiting an associative relationship with the alternate master process model; 
 a second subset of alternate manufacturing features virtually machined into the alternate master process model; and 
 a second alternate in-process model generated from results of virtual machining the second subset of the alternate manufacturing features, the second alternate in-process model exhibiting an associative relationship with the alternate master process model, 
 wherein said associative relationship between the first subset of the manufacturing features and the coordinate system is a parent/child relationship, and wherein said associative relationship between the second in-process model and the master process model is the parent/child relationship such that changes to the first in-process model as a first child and changes to the second in-process model as a second child do not affect the master process model as a parent, and wherein changes to the master process model as the parent affect the first and second child, thereby establishing a horizontal tree structure. 
 
     
     
       2. The manufactured part of  claim 1  wherein said associative relationship between the first in-process model and the master process model is a parent/child relationship. 
     
     
       3. The manufactured part of  claim 1  wherein said second subset of said manufacturing features exhibits an associative relationship with at least one of said first subset of said manufacturing features and said virtual blank. 
     
     
       4. The manufactured part of  claim 3  wherein said second in-process model comprises a 3-D model created from the second group reference link and includes only said second subset of said manufacturing features for use as an alternate master process model. 
     
     
       5. The manufactured part of  claim 4  wherein said first and second in-process models are used to generate the manufacturing instructions. 
     
     
       6. The manufactured part of  claim 1  wherein said first group reference link and the second group reference link each comprises a geometry defined by dimensional characteristics of a modeled part, and wherein said first group reference link is capable of being reestablished to a new geometry defined by one or more dimensional characteristics of a modeled part without changing said second group reference link. 
     
     
       7. The manufactured part of  claim 1  wherein said coordinate system comprises at least one of a point, line, curve, surface, and one or more datum planes. 
     
     
       8. The manufactured pad of  claim 1  wherein said coordinate system comprises:
 a first datum plane positioned and oriented relative to a reference; 
 a second datum plane positioned and oriented relative to said reference; and 
 a third datum plane positioned and oriented relative to said reference. 
 
     
     
       9. The manufactured pad of  claim 1  wherein said manufacturing instructions comprise process sheets. 
     
     
       10. The manufactured part of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said manufacturing instructions and said master process model are linked with numerically controlled tools and a coordinate measuring machine. 
     
     
       11. A storage medium encoded with a machine-readable computer program code for horizontally structured CAD/CAM manufacturing for large process models, said storage medium including instructions for causing a computer to implement a method comprising:
 selecting a blank for machining into an actual part; 
 establishing a coordinate system; 
 creating a master process model in a first file comprising:
 a virtual blank corresponding to said blank; and 
 manufacturing features; 
 
 virtual machining a first subset of said manufacturing features into said virtual blank, said first subset of said manufacturing features exhibiting an associative relationship with said coordinate system; 
 generating a first group reference link of the first subset of said manufacturing features; 
 generating a first in-process model from results of the virtual machining, said first in-process model exhibiting an associative relationship with said master process model; 
 storing the first in-process model in a second file, the second file associated with the first file via the first group reference link; 
 virtual machining a second subset of said manufacturing features into said virtual blank; 
 generating a second in-process model from results of virtual machining the second subset of said manufacturing features, the second in-process model exhibiting an associative relationship with the master process model; 
 storing the second in-process model in a third file, the third file associated with the first file via the first group reference link; and 
 generating manufacturing instructions to create said actual part by machining at least one of said first and second subsets of the manufacturing features into said blank, wherein, if the first subset of said manufacturing features is altered or deleted, the second subset of said manufacturing features remains unchanged; 
 creating an alternate master process model from the first in-process model, the alternate process model being created based on at least one feature of the first subset of manufacturing features; 
 virtual machining a first subset of alternate manufacturing features into the alternate master process model; 
 generating a first alternate in-process model from results of the virtual machining, the first in-process model exhibiting an associative relationship with the alternate master process model; 
 virtual machining a second subset of alternate manufacturing features into the alternate master process model; and 
 generating a second alternate in-process model from results of virtual machining the second subset of the alternate manufacturing features, the second alternate in-process model exhibiting an associative relationship with the alternate master process model, 
 wherein said associative relationship between the first subset of the manufacturing features and the coordinate system is a parent/child relationship, and wherein said associative relationship between the second in-process model and the master process model is the parent/child relationship such that changes to the first in-process model as a first child and changes to the second in-process model as a second child do not affect the master process model as a parent, and wherein changes to the master process model as the parent affect the first and second child, thereby establishing a horizontal tree structure. 
 
     
     
       12. A method of horizontally structured CAD/CAM manufacturing process modeling for large process models comprising:
 selecting a blank for machining into an actual part; 
 establishing a coordinate system; 
 creating a master process model in a first file comprising:
 a virtual blank corresponding to said blank; and 
 manufacturing features; 
 
 virtual machining a first subset of said manufacturing features into said virtual blank, said first subset of said manufacturing features exhibiting an associative relationship with said coordinate system; 
 generating a first group reference link of the first subset of said manufacturing features; 
 generating a first in-process model from results of the virtual machining, said first in-process model exhibiting an associative relationship with said master process model; 
 storing the first in-process model in a second file, the second file associated with the first file via the first group reference link; 
 virtual machining a second subset of said manufacturing features into said virtual blank; 
 generating a second in-process model from results of virtual machining the second subset of said manufacturing features, the second in-process model exhibiting an associative relationship with the master process model; 
 storing the second in-process model in a third file, the third file associated with the first file via the first group reference link; 
 generating manufacturing instructions to create said actual part by machining at least one of said first and second subsets of the manufacturing features into said blank, wherein, if the first subset of said manufacturing features is altered or deleted, the second subset of said manufacturing features remains unchanged; 
 creating an alternate master process model from the first in-process model, the alternate process model being created based on at least one feature of the first subset of manufacturing features; 
 virtual machining a first subset of alternate manufacturing features into the alternate master process model; 
 generating a first alternate in-process model from results of the virtual machining, the first in-process model exhibiting an associative relationship with the alternate master process model; 
 virtual machining a second subset of alternate manufacturing features into the alternate master process model; and 
 generating a second alternate in-process model from results of virtual machining the second subset of the alternate manufacturing features, the second alternate in-process model exhibiting an associative relationship with the alternate master process model, 
 wherein the associative relationship between the first in-process model and the master process model is a parent/child relationship, and wherein the associative relationship between the second in-process model and the master process model is the parent/child relationship such that changes to the first in-process model as a first child and changes to the second in-process model as a second child do not affect the master process model as a parent, and wherein changes to the master process model as the parent affect the first and second child, thereby establishing a first horizontal free structure. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  wherein said association relationship between the first subset of said manufacturing features and the coordinate system is a parent/child relationship. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12  wherein said second subset of said manufacturing features exhibits an associative relationship with at least one of said first subset of said manufacturing features and said virtual blank. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14  wherein said second in-process model comprises a 3-D model created from the second group reference link and includes only said second subset of said manufacturing features to be used as an alternate master process model. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  wherein said first and second in-process models are used to generate the manufacturing instructions. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 12  wherein said first group reference link and the second group reference link each comprises geometry defined by dimensional characteristics of a modeled part, and wherein said first group reference link is capable of being reestablished to a new geometry defined by one or more dimensional characteristics of a modeled part without changing said second group reference link. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 12  wherein establishing said coordinate system comprises at least one of a point, line, curve, surface, and one or more datum planes. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 12  wherein said coordinate system comprises:
 creating a first datum plane positioned and oriented relative to a reference; 
 creating a second datum plane positioned and oriented relative to said reference; and 
 creating a third datum plane positioned and oriented relative to said reference. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 12  wherein said manufacturing instructions comprise process sheets. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 12  wherein at least one of said manufacturing instructions and said master process model are linked with numerically controlled tools and a coordinate measuring machine. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 12  wherein the associative relationship between the first alternate in-process model and the alternate master process model is a parent/child relationship, and wherein the associative relationship between the second alternate in-process model and the alternate master process model is the parent/child relationship such that changes to the first alternate in-process model as a first child and changes to the second alternate in-process model as a second child do not affect the alternate master process model as a parent, and wherein changes to the alternate master process model as the parent affect the first and second child, thereby establishing a second horizontal free structure. 
     
     
       23. The method as claimed in  claim 22  wherein the second horizontal tree structure is in a parent child relationship with the first horizontal tree structure through the alternate master process model.